I Need An Exorcist!
by Asanobara
Summary: Kagome possessed by a spirit with more lecherous tendencies than Miroku in springtime. Her companions tricked by said spirit into thinking she's dead. Enter Sesshoumaru, who is mysteriously unaffected by the spirit's "womanly charms". What could possibly go wrong?
1. The Escape

**Title:** I Need An Exorcist!

**Genre:** Romance/Humor

**Pairing:** Kagome/Sesshoumaru

**Rating:** M

**Summary:** It was just a ring. How was Kagome supposed to know that it housed the spirit of a ghost with more lecherous tendencies that Miroku in springtime? And what'll she do when said ghost falls for none other than Sesshoumaru himself?!

**Review Policy:** I love them with all my heart and soul! They really do make me feel appreciated as an author, and I do respond to reviews that ask questions in the A/N. I do not mind flames against my writing, but please do not insult my value as a human being or the storyline, which I swear consists of more than just Kagome jumping Sesshoumaru at every turn of a corner. Also, if I make a big, glaring mistake, please be nice about it. I would rather you PM me, or at least log in before you post the review, so I do not have to publicly humiliate myself to respond to you.

**Disclaimer:** Inuyasha et al belongs to Rumiko Takahashi, not me. This story, however, does, so please be respectful and do not steal my idea. This fic is rated M mainly to be on the safe side, but also because I am feeling a bit rebellious lately and I want to write whatever the hell I want! (Note the exclamation point.) So yeah, there might be a lemon, but there might not. It is a possibility. I do not think I am the best at writing those kinds of scenes though, and if I find that I just cannot do it, I will not.

**Updates: **Fair warning: **I AM A HIATUS-PRONE AUTHOR.** I try to prewrite my chapters so I have a short supply when the inevitable hiatuses come (and they do), but I can only write to a certain point. If I wrote it all before posting, what would be the point of your reviews? (Meaningful look.) I plan to release updates on this story **EVERY OTHER FRIDAY**. That is by no means a promise, so don't kill me if I don't adhere to it, please!

**To anyone who actually read all that crap just now: Thank you. You are officially my favorite.**

**-oOo-**

**Chapter 1: The Escape**

The moment Sango fell asleep Kagome's eyes opened. Her irises glowed green in the darkness. She glanced down at the ropes that bound her to the tree and cursed the taijiya under her breath. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the hanyou's light silver ears twitch at the sound, and a sultry smirk spread across her lips.

"Inuyasha," she called out lazily, making her voice carry across the clearing and wrap around him like tendrils of smoke. His ear twitched again. "Inuyasha."

She waited patiently as he stirred and his eyes opened slowly. When he saw her, his eyes widened and flickered to Sango, obviously panicking. He opened his mouth to say something, but Kagome cut him off smoothly.

"Inuyasha, why don't you come over here for a minute?" she cooed, her voice breathy and low. His eyes returned to her, nervous at first, but then relaxed, and she knew she had him. "I have something to _show_ you," she whispered suggestively, her fingers tightening slightly on the hem of her skirt.

Inuyasha's mouth went dry as he nodded numbly and rose to his feet. His eyes were glued to hers as he made his way across the clearing. A few feet away he tripped over a root jutting from the ground and toppled to the forest floor, but his eyes remained captured by hers. He could not look away, even as he crawled the last few feet towards Kagome.

She smiled and made as if to move towards him, but the ropes stopped her movements. She looked down, a confused expression on her face, before raising her head to the hanyou. "I can't move," she said, tears filling her eyes immediately. "And I had something that I really wanted you to see, too."

She bit her lip into a pout, but she did not have to wait for long. Just a slice of his claws and the ropes were falling away from her body. She gasped in false surprise and fell forward, letting her head fall into his lap softly. Her keen hearing alerted her to the quickening of his heart rate and she crawled into his lap, twisting her arms around his neck and straddling his waist with her legs. After all, she was already free, so what would it hurt to play with the hanyou a little bit? He was hot enough, and Sango was still asleep, so—

"SHE'S AWAAAAAAKE!"

Kagome's hand froze halfway to Inuyasha's obi and her head whipped around to where Sango had been sleeping. _What? Where did she go?!_

_BAM!_

"Ack!"

Stars flashed behind her eyelids as Kagome slumped against Inuyasha. The hanyou looked up, dazed, to see a panting Sango holding Hiraikotsu over her head. The taijiya's brows drew together in guilt. "Forgive me, Kagome-chan," she whispered, her eyes shutting as though she had a headache.

"Wuh?" Inuyasha said stupidly, still unable to think straight. In lieu of an explanation, Sango nodded towards the still-unconscious miko in his lap. He glanced down and his face flushed bright red. "Wh-what the fuck?"

The taijiya snorted. "That's a nice choice of words," she said with a smirk.

The hanyou groaned. "Again?"

"After something's happened five times in the past week you'd think you'd be—"

_BAM!_

"Nguuh…"

Inuyasha's eyes rolled upwards and he fell sideways. Sango's mouth fell open in horror at the sight of the monk wielding his staff in a similar manner to her. _Crap! And I was just lecturing Inuyasha about being prepared for repeats!_ She watched as the miko who had been feigning unconsciousness rose—well, more like slithered—to her feet, pressing herself against Miroku, and her eye twitched when Kagome gave her a knowing sneer and pulled Miroku's head down to whisper something in his ear. His eyes gleamed in an all-too-familiar manner.

_God, I'll bet she promised to bear his child,_ Sango thought, sighing mentally.

"Nghugh…" Inuyasha mumbled from his spot on the ground. At least he was unconscious. She was not sure she could take two hormonal teenage men at once, especially if one was a hanyou. Steeling herself, Sango held her head (and Hiraikotsu) high and marched around the campsite, effectively halting the now retreating couple. Miroku did not take his eyes off Kagome, but Sango saw the miko's eyes darken a shade when she noticed her blocking her path.

"Don't try to stop me," she hissed.

"You expect me to just sit around while you go off with that lecher—in Kagome's body?" Sango's laugh was devoid of humor as her Hiraikotsu inched upward. "Not a chance."

Not-Kagome pouted prettily. Miroku, who had held out surprisingly long this time, leaned in to steal a kiss, spurring Sango into action. The miko ducked as the heavy boomerang sliced the air where her head had been, effectively re-breaking Miroku's bandaged nose. His eyes widened and he immediately went back to normal, clutching his nose with his hands and whimpering in pain. Sango's jaw dropped as his nose began to bleed profusely, spurting around the campsite. _Well that's new._

"Why don't we go somewhere more private?" Kagome was saying. Sango immediately jerked her eyes away from the moaning monk to the miko who was (once again) wrapped around the hanyou in a way that was distinctly _not_ miko-esque. How had she gotten over there so fast?! Inuyasha nodded and stood, keeping her legs secured around his torso and his hands tightly holding her waist. They turned to leave and Sango caught sight of one of Kagome's hands headed for his butt. She resisted the urge to smack her head with her hand.

"You stay here," she said unnecessarily to Miroku. Turning away, she once again circled the campsite, ducking into the bushes next to the path so they would not notice her and grabbing the end of a rope laying across it. She grinned at her genius. _Let us see you try to wander off with that idiot hanyou, you low-down, slutty—_

Her thoughts stopped when she felt someone's foot encounter the rope. She immediately pulled, but she was too late and wound up falling backwards into the shrubbery. She swore when she noticed Kagome stick out her tongue at her over Inuyasha's shoulder. Sango bolted to her feet. No way was she letting Inuyasha take Kagome somewhere and… well… do stuff with her! She charged forward with determination.

The smug look vanished from Kagome's face and her mouth opened to shout something, but Sango was faster, aiming a kick straight for Inuyasha's backside, managing to get the lecherous woman's hand in the process. Kagome shrieked as Inuyasha's arms went slack. As soon as he saw where he was, he paled and shook himself free from Kagome's hold. Cursing his worthlessness, he bounded a few paces to the right of the path and laid face down in the grass, covering his ears with his hands and saying "la-la-la" repeatedly in an annoyingly off-pitch voice.

Sango ignored him and rounded on Kagome. The woman was backing up slowly, her eyes flitting from side to side. Sango's eyes gleamed in triumph. "_Now _I've got—Hey!" She took off after the girl, who had just ducked to the left of the path. "Get back here now!" she screeched. "KAGOMEEEEEE!" Kagome glanced over her shoulder warily before dashing to the left. Sango groaned. _Not again._ She changed directions, racing after her friend to their campsite.

When she emerged from the trees, it was to the image of Kagome and Miroku locked in a passionate embrace. She cringed when she noticed Kagome's were not the only hands that were wandering. _You can't tell where one ends and the other begins! _she thought, feeling more pissed off by the minute. This had gone on long enough.

She took a deep breath.

"MIROKU! I just saw about fifty girls with severely oversized boobs headed for the hot springs!" she yelled.

Nothing. _Wait, it's lost its effect? Now what?!_

Lacking any other ideas, she barreled towards the interlocked pair and latched onto Miroku's back, pulling him away with all the strength she could muster. "Get off her you lousy pervert!" She smacked him upside the head a few times, but to no avail. Finally, she thrust her hand between their faces, grimacing when they continued kissing through the barrier for a few seconds. _This is just so wrong._

Kagome was the first to realize she was not making out with the monk anymore and quickly broke away, glancing left and right before plunging into the forest once more.

"Wait!" Sango called out. She tried to move her hand away, but Miroku caught it, obviously still under the influence (of Kagome), and began trailing kisses up her arm. She blushed furiously and attempted to disengage herself from the monk, but he wasn't about to let go. When he was about halfway up her arm he mumbled something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like "Minako."

"Pervert!" _Slap!_ She yanked her arm away angrily and pushed him sideways with her elbow. His eyes bulged when he came to his senses, and she narrowed her eyes at him. "Lay down face first and cover your ears next time," she growled.

"Ha… Sorry about that…"

She looked around, her eyes scanning the forest, and worry pulled her lips into a frown. Kagome was gone, and she had no idea which way she was headed. "What are we going to do?" she said, hopeless. "What if she runs into a female youkai? They won't fall for it…" The color drained from her face. "What if she runs into a _male_ one?"

Miroku patted her suspiciously low on the back. "Don't worry, darling Sango," he assured her. "A little real-life experience is nothing to be ashamed abou—"

_Slap!_ "Say that one more time and you're dead, monk." She sent him a cold glare before picking up her Hiraikotsu from where it had fallen in the… ah… struggle, and swung it onto her back. "Go tie yourself up or something," she called over her shoulder as she exited the clearing. "I'm going to have Inuyasha track her down."

**-oOo-**

Kagome giggled to herself as she waded into the cool river. Those losers were never going to find her, super-smelling hanyou be damned. She walked downstream near the shore for a good half-kilometer before it widened and quickened. She smirked at her luck when she saw that after another hundred meters or so the water dropped off into a short but dangerous waterfall. She ducked underwater, making sure not to be pulled in by the current, and scrubbed herself a bit to get rid of her scent.

When she was assured the hanyou wouldn't be able to track her easily, especially in such a misty area, she emerged from the water and waded to the shore. She searched the ground until she found a sharp rock and, gritting her teeth, she drew it along the back of her forearm, slicing the skin there. She took off her shirt and sighed longingly. It was such nice fabric, too. _Oh, well_. She rubbed it along her bloodied arm, careful not to drip any blood on the ground lest the hanyou take notice of her trick, and, when she was done with that, shredded it several times with the rock.

_Try and find me now, damned taijiya,_ she thought smugly, curling it up into a ball and hurling it out into the middle of the river. She watched with satisfaction as it drifted with the current for several seconds before disappearing over the edge of the waterfall. When it was gone, she returned to the water and rinsed her wound, tying it up with a strip of her skirt.

"All done," she said cheerfully, exiting the water once more. The night was cool, uncomfortably so with her lack of clothing, and she looked down at herself. Her mouth curved into a frown as she examined the miko's body. _Attractive enough, but why would anyone want to hide her breasts under this thing?_ she thought, eyeing the stiff scraps of fabric distastefully. With a slash of a lengthened nail, the odd contraption fell to the ground. She picked it up and threw it into the river. _That's more like it._

It was still cold though, so she strode over to a nearby oak tree and picked up a fallen orange leaf. "This'll do," she murmured to no one in particular, pressing it between her hands and closing her eyes. After a few seconds, the leaf between her fingers glowed a bright green and began to change. When her eyes opened, it was to the sight of a dress the same color as the leaf.

After the miko's skirt had joined her shirt and undergarments in the river, she slid the dress on, marveling at the feel of the unnamable fabric against her skin. _This is nice for not even having a pattern, if I do say so myself!_ She grinned when she noticed the low-cut neckline and the way the dress fit snugly over her waist and hips. This was definitely more her style than that overly modest number the miko used to wear. She needed to stop being so old-fashioned or she would never get a good man. It was a good thing her father had been a nymph—being able to make her own clothes sure came in handy.

She stopped mid-thought, her brow creasing. Where had that come from? She tried to follow the thought but it slipped away before she could catch it. She shook her head in frustration as she began walking the same direction as the water's current. Why couldn't she remember anything about her past? Wasn't the one doing the possessing supposed to know what was going on? Well, at least now she knew her father had been a nymph. Maybe she could go ask them or something.

When she reached the end of the cliff, she pulled herself from her reverie and glanced over the edge. It wasn't really that far, but definitely enough to kill a human—or someone in a human's body—and she was starting to become tired of walking for so long. Who knew humans had such fragile legs? She didn't see anywhere else she could go, though, so she shrugged and began descending the cliff, moving nimbly from ledge to ledge until she reached the bottom. The sound of water pounding the rocks was perfect—no one would be able to hear her here.

She peered over to the area behind the waterfall and her lips curled upward into a smirk. The gods were surely smiling upon her this day. She quickly darted along the massive boulders that were nearest the cliff. Nearest the waterfall they were slippery and wet, water and air blowing in her face like a tsunami. She braced herself against the cliff face and inched along until she was in a small, damp area behind the waterfall. When she woke up as the miko, she would not be able to get out—the rocks were too slippery, and the miko was not stupid. It was narrow but deep, going at least ten meters into the cliff. _Perfect. They won't be able to see me if they look._

She walked deeper into the cave and sat down at the end of the hallway. The material her dress was made of, which she assumed was some sort of weird combination of silk and "leaf", was already dry. Definitely convenient. The ground, though hard, was not rough or wet, and that, combined with her exhaustion, made falling asleep easy that night. She just hoped this Kagome miko didn't have a hidden talent for rock-climbing or something.

**-oOo-**

**Thanks for reading!**


	2. Forest Child

**Disclaimer:** Inuyasha is property of Rumiko Takahashi, not me. This story is mine, however, and if you steal it, I will get really pissed off at you. I also do not own Lord of the Rings (obviously).

**-oOo-**

**Last Time…**

…"_Go tie yourself up or something," Sango called over her shoulder as she exited the clearing. "I'm going to have Inuyasha track her down."…_

…_The ground, though hard, was not rough or wet, and that, combined with her exhaustion, made falling asleep easy that night. She just hoped this Kagome miko didn't have a hidden talent for rock-climbing or something…_

**-oOo-**

**Chapter 2: Forest Child**

"_Mori-sama!"_

_The man turned to look at her and smiled. "What a pleasure to see you," he said in a low, calming voice. She felt her cheeks flush pink and her eyes dropped to the ground, suddenly finding the grass to be the most interesting thing in the world._

"_Wh-what are you doing out here in the gardens, Mori-sama?"_

_He lifted his face to the sun, closing his eyes. The light glimmered in his earthen brown hair. "The gardens are wonderful in springtime. Don't you agree?"_

_She nodded shyly and risked a peek at Mori-sama through her bangs. "I—My father wanted to speak with you," she told him._

"_Ah, I—" His lips moved, but the roar of an earthquake drowned out the sound. Strangely, he didn't seem to notice, and continued to speak even as the sound grew louder and louder. She took a step back in fear and looked down, half expecting the mossy path to be crumbling beneath her feet. Instead the grass had been replaced by damp rock. She wrapped her arms around herself to ward off the cold…_

Kagome blinked once, then twice, still half-asleep. When the sight of the rocky ground in front of her and the thunderous roar didn't disappear, she looked up and her eyes widened. _Is that a waterfall?_ she thought, amazed, when she saw the wall of rushing water. No wonder it had been so loud in her dream.

At the memory of the dream, she frowned. What had that been about anyway? And who the heck was this Mori-sama? She seemed to know him…

_Oh, yeah, I'm possessed,_ she thought._Kind of forgot about that for a moment. Not._ Maybe it was a vision from the ghost's past. She fiddled with the gold band on her pinkie absently. It seemed like it was so big it should fall off, but when she tried to, it wouldn't budge.

_Stupid ring. Stupid Kagome. What were you thinking, just putting it on like that? Just how many movies have you watched where golden rings possess people, hm?_ She sighed, letting her left hand fall to the ground and observing her surroundings. She seemed to be in a narrow cavern, the entrance to which was blocked by a cascade of water. She'd always wondered what one of these places would be like, but now wasn't exactly the time to be enjoying the scenery.

She stood carefully, taking care not to tear her dress on the rocks behind her.

She froze, her head remaining in one position as her eyes dropped to the clothes she was currently sporting. She resisted the urge to cry as she observed the miniscule yukata's scooping neckline, barely-there skirt, and her obvious lack of a bra. _Oh, Kami help my virginity,_ she begged, closing her eyes shortly to the sight. At least the ghost had left her underwear alone, but who knew how long _that_ would last.

"Of all the ghosts and evil spirits out there, it just had to be this one," she groaned. "Stupid ring."

_Well, no use standing around all day and doing nothing,_ she thought, stretching (and trying not to blanch at the way the bottom half of her undies became instantly visible) and heading for the front of the cave. If she had any luck she'd be able to get out of this place and find Inuyasha and… and…

And then what? Get tied to a tree again, hoping and praying Sango wouldn't fall asleep on guard duty (like the last three out of five nights—she could only stay awake for so long), leaving her to the mercy of Inuyasha and Miroku? (Or was it the other way around?) Would she just wake up again and convince Miroku or Inuyasha to let her go? They'd made next to no progress this past week, constantly having to stop before sunset and stake out a camp area safe enough that tying her up wouldn't be a danger.

She swallowed thickly, knowing the other option wasn't too smart either. She couldn't run off on her own, especially in this state. She'd be lucky to survive for a week, and a lot could happen in a week when you transformed into a man-eating seductress as soon as the sun set. She shivered at the thought. She didn't even want to think about why she was wearing different clothes than she fell asleep in.

_Technically, if I didn't consent it was rape, and that's not the fault of the victim,_ she told herself. _Besides, people always say the first time's painful, so being sort of unconscious during it shouldn't be a bad thing._

She felt a wave of nausea sweep over her. _That is_so_a "bad thing." I can't believe I just thought that!_

By the time she reached the front of the cave she had to squint to see through the heavy mists the waterfall was blowing in her face. _You would think these places would be more peaceful_, she thought ruefully as she held an arm in front of her face to keep her eyes from being pounded with water. Her hair was immediately soaking wet from the spray, whipping around her shoulders and neck. _Where am I supposed to get out?_ she wondered, her eyes searching the area around the entrance to the cave.

_There!_ She finally caught sight of the three or four-foot space between the water and the cave's entrance to her left, and felt her way along the rock wall to reach it. When she finally reached the ledge, she gasped. It was at least a five-foot jump to the nearest rock, which happened to be completely slicked down in water and moss. How had she ever gotten in in the first place? She leaned over the edge warily, craning her neck to see, but instantly retreated, her stomach flipping uncomfortably when she saw the churning waters below.

She cursed her luck as she returned to her spot at the back of the cave. Not for the first time, she wished she'd been born youkai, or even hanyou. That jump would be child's play for Inuyasha, and no doubt Shippou would have little issue, him having his magical balloon thingy and all.

Kagome plopped down in a heap where she had been resting, but immediately shot up, shrieking in pain and rubbing her backside. _Yeah, you're definitely cursed or something, Kagome,_ she complained mentally, bending down to pick up the white rock she'd sat down on. Light-colored residue came off onto her fingers when she held it in her hand and the corner of her mouth quirked upward.

**-oOo-**

_Slap!_

"At least have a sense of atmosphere, you pervert!" Sango hissed, giving him an angry look and scooting farther forward on Kirara to avoid the monk's wandering hands.

Miroku laughed nervously and massaged his throbbing cheek with his hand, but took the hint. He was just trying to lighten the mood a bit (although perhaps copping a feel wasn't the best way to go about doing so, not that he'd ever admit that). The "atmosphere", as Sango had so rightly referred to it, was certainly nothing short of dismal. It was past noon and they still hadn't found Kagome. Things had been going great until they reached the river. They'd followed it upstream for at least an hour before Inuyasha decided he'd been wrong. Who knew water could be so confusing?

They had retraced their footsteps and headed downriver until they had reached a waterfall. Miroku could still remember vividly the way Sango's hand had flown to her mouth to conceal a cry, and the way Inuyasha's back had stiffened when he heard the muffled sound. He had not been able to smell Kagome anywhere on the banks; she must have been swept down the waterfall, and there was no way a human could survive that fall, especially one who was more or less out of it.

Miroku glanced over Sango's shoulder and caught sight of the red-clad hanyou racing along on the forest floor far below. What would Inuyasha do if they never found Kagome? Would he seek out the help of Kikyou now that their "shard detector" was gone? Would he be swept into his own sorrows or would he blame the situation on Sango, who had fallen asleep while guarding the possessed miko? Miroku knew she blamed herself. She was the kind of person who was all-too-quick to count herself responsible for the smallest of errors, and no doubt this situation was killing her inside, even when it wasn't really her fault.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha's yell startled Miroku out of his thoughts and he looked down to see that the hanyou had increased his speed drastically and changed directions, once again heading towards the river. Kirara quickly maneuvered midair to follow behind him and also sped up, but Inuyasha was faster. In a couple minutes they caught sight of him, and Miroku's heart sank to his stomach. The hanyou was kneeling next to the river, something pressed to his chest, when they landed.

Sango flew off Kirara's back, followed closely by Shippou. Miroku watched as she rushed to the hanyou, stopping a few feet away and just staring at him in disbelief. He dismounted Kirara, dread making his movements slow and lethargic even as he approached Inuyasha. When he moved to go past Sango, she stopped him, catching a fold of his robes with a small hand. She shook her head, and he saw that there were tears in her eyes. Shippou was standing in front of Inuyasha, his eyes wide in disbelief and fear, and then Miroku knew.

They'd lost her.

**-oOo-**

_So she doesn't have any hidden talent for rock-climbing,_ not-Kagome thought when she woke up to find that she was still in the cave._That is actually somewhat disappointing. Not that I'm complaining._

She rose to her feet swiftly, knowing she only had until sunrise, or whenever the miko's body ran out of energy, to get as far as she could from the waterfall. She also had to find out where the nymphs were if she wanted to figure out who she was.

She glanced down at her dress, finding herself already bored of the style, and brushed her hands over it briefly. It retained the same color, as its base had not changed, but now the traditional neckline had been reshaped to resemble the dresses the women from the mainland sometimes wore. The skirt had lengthened to mid-thigh but now the sides were slit up to her hips. She frowned when she noticed the plain white scrap of material the miko had been wearing under her clothes and immediately slipped it off, discarding it on the smooth rock floor before fashioning a more lacy number from the rest of her dress.

She sighed in pity as she regarded the white undergarment before her. That miko's sense of fashion was hopelessly outdated.

Her thoughts halted when she noticed the white markings that had appeared on the floor sometime while she had been "sleeping", and she squinted at them in the half-light, squatting so she could make them out. Her eyes widened in surprise when she recognized some of the scribbles as characters from the mainland. The miko was educated? Humans were _never_ educated, especially women. She herself must not have been educated, even though she was (apparently) a nymph, because the strange symbols meant nothing to her.

_Even though you're educated you're still a complete idiot,_ she groused, running a hand over the markings absently. _If I can't read what's written it's really no use to spend your time and energy writing…_ She blinked in surprise as the characters began to swim before her eyes, shifting and changing into a strange, curling script.

A strange, curling script that she understood.

Not-Kagome smirked. _I knew I must have been too important to be uneducated,_ she thought pompously. _Although I wonder how that worked. Maybe her being able to read has transferred to me, and I'm just seeing it like this because this way I'll understand?_ She shook her head. This whole possessing thing was nothing short of confusing. Instead she focused on what was written.

An amused smile worked its way to her lips as she read.

"_To the ghost-spirit-youkai-person-thing:_

"_I'm not sure what your objective is, and I don't know why you chose me of all people to possess, but I have a deal for you."_

Her eyebrows shot up.

"_I'll help you complete your goal by letting you borrow my body and on two conditions._

"_One, once you've finished whatever it is you need to do, you get out of my body and never come back. That includes possessing any of my friends._

"_And two, you absolutely must not have sex with anyone in my body. I'd like to at least be conscious for something so important, if you don't mind._

"_Kagome Higurashi."_

Not-Kagome's eyes lit up wickedly. She could think of any number of ways to get around this Kagome miko's "deal", or whatever she called it. Obviously, this girl had no experience whatsoever in legal matters. "That sounds like a wonderful plan, Kagome Higurashi," she said in a singsong voice. "Just don't regret it later."

She skipped over the chalk markings, feeling her way along the wall to the exit. She stood still for several minutes, allowing the water to spray over her, drowning out her scent as well as it could, before she opened her eyes and jumped. The rocks were slippery and obviously hazardous, but she easily leapt from boulder to boulder, limber as a cat, and was on the bank in no time. Knowing she had to get away from the area as soon as possible, she ran downstream about a half-kilometer until the waters had calmed. She then dove in and swam across, grateful that her dress seemed to be stretchy and allowed for freedom of movement.

She emerged from the river on the opposite shore and spared a last glance at the water before delving into the woods. The auras of dozens of minor youkai flared around her, but she wasn't scared. She was a nymph, a creature of the forest, and even if she wasn't in her true form they would know better than to attack her on her home ground, and if it was just some cocky youkai looking for a fight, well, she definitely had her defenses.

Farther and farther she ran. She ran until the moon had disappeared from the sky and darkness blanketed the wood like a cloud. She ran until her legs had gone numb, and then some. Thankfully, the miko was in at least semi-good shape, but she would have done anything for a youkai's speed. She didn't know exactly where she was going, only that she needed to get away from the hanyou. If they found her they would do anything they could to get her out of Kagome's body, and that was not an option. She had to find out who she was, and why her soul had been trapped in that ring.

She stopped when she felt it—an aura. Her head swiveled to where she had felt it. It radiated power, wisdom, and age, but that was not what interested her so much.

_It's like me._ As soon as the thought crossed her mind, she felt herself pulled in its direction, her feet flying over the forest floor. A turn around a tree, a duck under a low-hanging limb, and she was there. She stilled, taking in the sight in wonder. It was a massive tree—a magnolia—its trunk wider than several grown men standing shoulder-to-shoulder. Her eyes followed the trunk upwards, seeing that it was much taller than any of the other trees in the forest. Its branches expanded in a huge circle around it.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" She gasped at the kindly chuckle the tree had emitted and looked down, searching for where the voice had come from.

"Ha ha, I'm afraid you're on the wrong side."

Slowly, she entered the clearing, circling the tree until she saw the face that jutted out of the bark just above eye-level. It was the same light brown as the rest of the bark, but shaped much like the face of an old man, with a long, thin nose and deep wrinkles covering its cheeks and the corners of its eyes.

"How old are you?" she asked in wonder.

He chuckled once more at the girl's question. "I could ask you the same, Wandering Spirit," he replied shrewdly.

"How did you know?"

"I can see that you are suppressing the miko's spirit." His forehead wrinkled more (if that was even possible). "And I cannot say I approve of a fellow Forest Child doing such a thing."

She crossed her arms and frowned, suddenly defensive. "I haven't done anything wrong," she snapped. "As soon as I figure out how to unbind my spirit from the ring I'll leave. Besides, it was her own fault for putting the ring on. Humans are such idiots."

The tree hummed. "I would not cast judgment so easily on them," he warned. "They are weak but their spirits are fierce."

She sneered. "_This_ girl's spirit sure isn't too fierce. She didn't even put up half a fight when I possessed her."

His aged lips tugged upwards into a stiff but genuine smile. "You still have much to learn, fellow Forest Child," he said cryptically. "Why have you sought me out?"

"I felt your aura and I came," she responded with a shrug. "I have not met another Forest Child since I took over the miko's body. The wood is not the same since my life ended." Her brow creased as she looked at the ancient magnolia. "How long has it been since all the trees were living?" she asked. "How is it that only you have managed to survive?"

The tree sighed. "It has been over a thousand years," he said. "After the death of the nymph lord the forest has grown weary. Only two of us remain—I, Bokusenou, and the great Goshinboku—and we have only survived thus far by hiding."

Her eyes widened at the familiar name. "Goshinboku?"

"Hn. He is older than I." The magnolia's eyes darkened. "Though he has not spoken in over two hundred years."

This knowledge brought her sadness, though she wasn't sure why. Perhaps she had known this Goshinboku when she lived. She made a mental note to go visit him if the nymphs didn't have the answers she needed.

_Oh, right, that was who I was looking for._ Maybe this Bokusenou would know something. She straightened. "You mentioned the nymph lord died?"

"His death was the beginning of the decline," said Bokusenou, sounding a bit tired. "No one knows what truly happened to him. It is said he died while performing an ancient ritual to bring back his love from the grave."

She tsked at his foolishness. Men would do anything for lust, and the sooner women figured that out the farther they would get in life. "Do you know if any nymphs are left?"

"I have heard rumors, having been around for over three thousand years, but you can never really trust rumors about nymphs." His eyes sparkled. "You are an evasive lot."

She smiled. "Thank you."

"The nymph lord resided in the south with his followers," he went on. "Nymphs are neither truly youkai nor truly human, but he held the position and political power of the Daiyoukai of the South. He died without an heir, though, and the nymphs never truly regrouped after that. The South is now ruled by the firebirds, and the nymphs have faded into legend."

"Do you have any idea where I might find them?"

He chuckled again. "I have not heard of a nymph in years, but my first guess would be that they remained in the South, perhaps retreating to the forests and making their homes there."

She nodded. "Thank you. I must go… If you could set out a rumor of a nymph seeking out her family though that would be most helpful," she said with a smile.

"I shall," he said. He gave her a last sweeping glance. "Do not get into too much trouble, Forest Child," he advised. "That body is on loan."

Not-Kagome flipped her hair over her shoulder as she turned to go. "I'll be sure to keep that in mind," she said.

**-oOo-**

**Thanks for reading!**


	3. Resistant

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Inuyasha, but I do own this story, and if you steal it I will get really pissed off at you.

**-oOo-**

**Last Time…**

…_Sango shook her head, and Miroku saw that there were tears in her eyes. Shippou was standing in front of Inuyasha, his eyes wide in disbelief and fear, and then Miroku knew._

_They'd lost her…_

…_Bokusenou gave her a last sweeping glance. "Do not get into too much trouble, Forest Child," he advised. "That body is on loan."_

_Not-Kagome flipped her hair over her shoulder as she turned to go. "I'll be sure to keep that in mind," she said…_

**-oOo-**

**Chapter 3: Resistant**

_Could my luck get _any _worse?_

Kagome cocked her head to the side, considering. _Well, let's see: I was born with a youkai-magnet inside my body which, where I normally live, would have been A-okay, but I just-so-happened to fall through an enchanted well to a place where youkai are as common as humans. I broke said youkai-magnet and now have to travel Japan, risking both my life and my graduation from high school to fix it. I had to give up on my first love because he'll only ever see me for my previous incarnation; said incarnation is a contemptuous bitch. I managed to get possessed by an evil spirit; said evil spirit is a slut; and said evil slut has now tied me up to a tree in the middle of the woods. Not to mention said woods are youkai-infested._

_Yeah, I really hope it doesn't get any worse than this._

She once again tugged against the strange ropes that held her fast to the tree. They scraped against her arms roughly and she winced. What were they made out of anyway? Some sort of vines? After struggling for a few more minutes, she gave up. She was tired, possessed, and borderline starving. Couldn't the stupid spirit at least think to feed herself? She could only go so long without food!

Her stomach growled angrily. She swore under her breath. Leave it to her to wind up hungry _and_ tied to a tree. She considered the vines skeptically. _I wonder if they're edible…_

"Miko."

She looked up, startled, at the sound of the voice, and she blinked. "S-Sesshoumaru?" she squeaked. What was he doing here? And why was he just standing there? She shifted uncomfortably under his intense look. _What's he so interested in?_

He regarded her for a few moments before speaking again. "Why are you tied to a tree?"

Her mouth opened and shut several times before she found her voice. "Well, I, uh…" _Should I tell him the truth? Probably not…_ She scrambled for an excuse, but drew a blank, and finally settled on, "I'm really not sure."

He growled lowly. "Miko, do not lie to this Sesshoumaru."

She gulped. "Erm, well…" Her eyes slid away, avoiding his cold golden gaze, and stopped when she noticed the position of the sun in the sky. Her blood ran cold. "Oh Kami." Her eyes snapped back to the taiyoukai at the edge of the clearing. What was she supposed to do now? She had to get him away from here before sunset! "Um, don't you think you should go check up on Rin or something? The woods are dangerous at night," she said, her nerves making her talk a bit too fast.

His eyes darkened. "What?"

She cringed. "Wh-well, that is, uh… heheheh…" She shrank against the tree when she noticed him step forward.

"Speak, wench, or your life ends here," he snarled, his claws beginning to glow an eerie green.

"Wait—what? No!" she stuttered. "Please! I don't wanna die! I'm only eighteen. I haven't even finished high school, much less college!"

"_Speak._"

_Oh, Kagome, what have you gotten yourself into? _Her eyes snapped to the horizon once more. They only had a couple minutes left. She turned back to the advancing Sesshoumaru, her brows knitting together in fear. "Oh, please, just go away," she begged. "Just leave me here. Trust me, you _don't_ want to stay."

"_Why?_"

"I—I—I—" She swallowed. "I'm possessed by an evil slut!"

He stopped a few feet away from her, the glow on his hand disappearing. He stared at her. She stared at him. He continued to stare. She glanced sideways at the setting sun. _Shit._ His eyes narrowed and his hand began to glow again. "You dare to lie to this Sesshoumaru, human?"

"It's not a lie you idiot, it's the truth!" she insisted, turning back to him. "And if you don't get out of pheromone range before the sun sets she's gonna wake up and mess with your head and _I'm_ going to have to suffer the consequences."

His eyes flashed red. "You presume she would be capable of tricking this Sesshoumaru?"

"Well, I don't exactly know," she said sarcastically. "Let's see, I haven't tried to seduce you in my sleep before and am just now finding out about it, right? Because that would be really awkward—" She flinched when he snarled, withdrawing Toukijin from it's sheath. "Wait! No, stop! I didn't mean it, I swear. It was just a joke!"

"Speak, human, or die," he threatened, raising the demonic sword.

"What do you mean? I already told you that I'm possessed! What more do you want from me?!"

"Where is Rin?"

She was really starting to get a headache. "Huh? I don't know where Rin is. Why would you assume I know where—" She stopped abruptly as a bolt of electricity raced through her body. She whimpered, squeezing her eyes shut against the pain. _Sunset._ She only had a few moments. She had to get him to go away. He had to leave…

"Speak, miko."

She forced open her eyes, looking at him through the haze of pain. The world seemed to shift and stretch before her, the colors becoming brighter and the sounds louder. She felt possibly the worst migraine in the universe coming on, probably the result of the tasing she was getting. "Go… away…" she managed through gritted teeth.

He didn't budge. Her last thought before she was drawn back into herself, the world disappearing into two holes that grew smaller and smaller as she was whisked away, was that she really hoped the slut could read.

** -oOo- **

The miko stilled, her head slumping forward. Sesshoumaru's eyes faded back to their usual icy gold and he lowered his sword. He might have been merciless, but he had more honor than to attack an unconscious woman, even if she was human. He frowned minutely as she stirred, remembering what she'd said about the "evil slut".

_As if her tricks would fool this Sesshoumaru._

"Nnn…" she murmured softly. He tensed at the sound. That definitely didn't sound like the human. He watched as she lifted her head and blinked at him slowly with wide green eyes. A small smirk spread across her face. "Looks like I got lucky. The miko surrounds herself with handsome men."

He stiffened at her words. "Where is Rin?"

She giggled. "How very to the point." Her electric green eyes darkened to the color of pine needles. "Just how I like it."

Sesshoumaru growled at her obvious innuendo and pointed the tip of Toukijin at her. "You try my patience, bitch."

"Oh don't worry," she said, not seeming at all bothered by the demonic blade currently within a foot of her head. The strange green ropes that bound her to the tree began to slowly unwind themselves, falling to the ground and scattering into small orange and yellow leaves. "Patience isn't my best…_ virtue_ either."

"Speak, wench. Where is Rin?"

She ignored him as the last of the ropes fell away, releasing her from her earlier prison, and she stood, taking the opportunity of being backed up against a tree to pull a full-body shimmy that should have had him on his knees in two seconds flat. She tried not to frown when he didn't even take the time to check her out. _What the heck?_

"Do not test me," he said with deathly calm. "Where is Rin?"

"Who's Rin?" she asked innocently, batting her eyelashes to distract him from the flashing of her irises as she sent out a pheromone wave so strong it could have toppled a building.

Sesshoumaru frowned, catching wind of her deception. He didn't have time for this. She didn't appear to know where Rin was; she was just wasting his time. Normally any bitch who attempted to seduce him would be killed upon sight, but the fact that this was the Shikon Miko—or at least something inside the Shikon Miko—complicated things a bit. He knew she was the only one who could sense the shards other than the undead wench, and that gathering the shards was crucial to defeating Naraku. He glanced over her once, debating whether he should kill her.

She held in a sneer of triumph when she noticed his eyes sweep over her body. Finally, the guy had come to his senses! She was beginning to think there was something wrong with him. She pressed forward just enough for the tip of the blade to brush over the thin fabric covering her chest and this time she couldn't hold back a sneer as the sword sliced a thin line just above her cleavage. _I am just too good._

The taiyoukai in front of her resisted the urge to run her through. _How dare she touch my sword with her filthy human body? _He glared at her. _This bitch is asking for an early demise. Perhaps I should grant her wish…_

She purred internally as his gaze intensified. This one appeared to be pretty visual. Her eyes sparkled wickedly. She could definitely do visual.

He was debating the best method of removing her permanently from the face of the earth when she made her move. His eyes followed her in suspicion as she slinked sideways and away from the tree. _What is she up to now?_ He felt a headache coming on. He had come thinking his brother's miko might have at least _some_ idea where Rin was, but apparently she—and whatever was currently in control of her—had no clue whatsoever. That left him with no leads, stuck with something in a human body exuding sickeningly sweet pheromones in an attempt to seduce him, and faced with the choice of killing the Shikon Miko and getting rid of his annoyance or leaving her here and ruining his reputation.

He scented the air, checking for witnesses, and cursed the bitch's pheromones. He couldn't smell a thing other than her. He listened carefully as he scanned the clearing. There didn't appear to be anyone who would see them nearby. He turned his attention back to the woman before him, fully intending to inform her of exactly how lucky she was to be escaping from the taiyoukai of the West unscathed, but she wasn't there. He blinked at the area she had been standing before his eyes narrowed. Damn woman, ruining his sense of smell. Things were not looking good for her on the survival front.

She darted around him, reappearing next to his only arm and winding her hands around said appendage. When he turned to look at her his eyes were beginning to bleed red, and she licked her upper lip suggestively, pressing herself (and her boobs) into his arm. _Now I've got him._

_How dare she touch this Sesshoumaru's person?!_ He snarled at her in warning, but she didn't seem to take the hint. There was only so much he could put up with, especially when he was pressed for time, even from someone who may or may not prove useful in the future. He was beginning to see the benefits of there being two shard-detectors…

Not-Kagome applauded herself inwardly when she heard his growl of what had to have been lust. Of course, there had been no doubt in her mind that she would come out on top, as usual, but he was still a powerful youkai, maybe even a taiyoukai. She didn't even bother to conceal her appreciation of this particular specimen. This was definitely going to be fun. She'd always had a thing for the experienced ones.

"Bitch, this is your last chance. Remove yourself from this Sesshoumaru's person or die."

She flinched, struck speechless by his cold tone. _What the hell?_ He narrowed his eyes and bared his fangs. She cried out in shock and pain when she felt something burn her upper thigh through the material of her dress and she leapt back, holding in a whimper. His hand was glowing an eerie green, coated in some sort of acid. There was a black-rimmed hole in the skirt of her dress, revealing a blistering wound. She cursed internally. What had happened? She had been sure she had him under control and then this happened!

"It would be best for you to return to the half-breed," advised the silver-haired youkai in front of her. She gritted her teeth against the pain and glared at him as he went on. "Do not attempt to trick this Sesshoumaru again." With that, he turned and disappeared from the clearing, leaving nothing but the stirring of leaves and a very pissed-off and extremely confused nymph-possessed miko in his wake.

_How dare he? How dare he?!_ she fumed, still staring after him in anger. _How dare he refuse me? Doesn't he know who I am?!_

A voice of reason somewhere inside told her that if _she_ didn't even know who she was, she couldn't very well expect a complete stranger to, but she quickly squashed such a notion. Her anger gave way to confusion when she began to think on her situation. She'd just been turned away. That never happened—_ever. _She was the most powerful seductress Japan had ever seen (how she knew, she didn't know, but since the thought came naturally she had no reason to doubt it). Who was he to blow her off?

She narrowed her eyes at her partially exposed cleavage. _There's nothing wrong with me. Even I'll admit this girl's got some nice curves, so what the heck was with that guy? Does he think he's better than me?_ She stomped the ground in frustration.

"Ow!" Her hands flew to her injured thigh. The burn was approximately the size of her hand—in truth, he had barely brushed against her—and it was now beginning to bleed. She swore. She couldn't let this scar—legs were the third most important place on a woman, after all! Clenching her jaw, she limped over to the tree where she had tied herself the night before and slowly, carefully lowered herself to the forest floor. She brushed her hand along the hem of her dress, and it immediately shortened until it just barely covered her undergarments, leaving the large burn exposed. She raised an eyebrow at the new black designs that swirled along the hem. _Well, at least something good came of this._

Not-Kagome shook her head, reaching down and picking up one of the small leaves lying there. She concentrated until it began to glow, morphing into a basket. Mindful of her leg, she turned slightly until she could hold the basket up to the tree and have one hand free. Her free hand pressed against the bark above the basket until it also began to glow, releasing a small stream of water that she caught in the basket. When she was finished, she pulled her hand away and the stream of water stopped. She smiled and whispered her thanks to the tree.

Not looking forward to the task at hand, she turned around slowly and regarded the burn critically. The skin there was completely gone, leaving the inside visible. There was still some residual acid in the wound which made soft hissing sounds as it bit at the blackened edges. Thankfully, the acid had eaten away the skin, or that would have had to go too.

She shivered at the thought and steeled herself for the pain as she lifted the basket over the wound. _This is totally going to burn._ She whimpered as she poured the water slowly into the wound, washing away any remaining acid. _Damn that youkai!_ She repeated the process twice, just to make sure the poison had all been washed away, before she was satisfied. The basket was transformed into a long, flexible strip of fabric, which she used to bind her leg.

When she was finally done, she almost collapsed in relief. The pain was still there, throbbing through the natural fabric, but at least she didn't have to pour any more water on it. As she settled in for a good rest, not even bothering to tie herself up—the miko wouldn't be able to get far anyway with this leg of theirs—her thoughts drifted to the youkai who had been the cause of her pain. She couldn't overcome the wave of frustration she felt towards him. How could he just ignore her advances like that? It just wasn't natural!

_Of course, he was somewhat feminine looking. Maybe he's gay?_ She shook her head at the thought. There was no way he was even near homosexual. Besides, that shouldn't have mattered. Her pheromones were supposed to adapt to any man she decided would be her target. Sexual orientation was irrelevant.

She huffed. And who was this Rin chick? Maybe it was her fault she couldn't ensnare the handsome one-armed youkai. Or maybe he had some sort of really huge grudge against the miko…

She made a sound of annoyance. That shouldn't have mattered anyway! There was obviously some trick he was using to ward her off. Her eyes grew wide in horror as she contemplated this. Could it be? Was it possible that the men of this time had figured out how to protect themselves against her charms? She thought back on the monk and hanyou. They'd been easy to trick, so maybe only youkai knew?

She paled. If youkai knew, what was she supposed to do?! Being able to make clothes out of leaves and commune with nature was convenient and all, but it wouldn't get her far in a real battle. Seduction was her form of self-defense! She had to figure out how he'd kept himself from falling for her trickery, or she could end up dead long before she found out who she was.

Her jaw set in determination as she picked up another leave, willing it to stretch into a sheet of parchment. If the miko could leave notes, so could she.

**-oOo-**

**Thanks for reading!**


	4. 3 x Searching, 3 x Scheming

**Sorry for not updating last week-my computer was in another's hands.**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Inuyasha, but I do own this story, and if you steal it I will get really pissed off at you.

**-oOo-**

**Last Time…**

_Her jaw set in determination as she picked up another leaf, willing it to stretch into a sheet of parchment. If the miko could leave notes, so could she._

**-oOo-**

**Chapter 4: Three Times Searching, Three Times Scheming**

_Miko,_

_As you must now be aware, my tricks failed to ensnare the youkai whose presence you left me in the evening previous. You may rejoice in this, but please consider: I have no real weapons against youkai other than seduction. If the silver-haired one from last night was resistant to my magic, there could be others._

_We must seek out the youkai as soon as possible and learn from him how he managed to ward off my seduction, or we will suffer the consequences when we next come across a youkai who is not affected by me: I will not be able to find the nymphs, nor my identity, and you will die._

Kagome read over the note several times, not sure whether to be happy that she hadn't just inadvertently seduced Sesshoumaru—of all people—confused by the fact that she was currently reading in a language completely unknown to her, or extremely freaked out.

She decided to settle on happy—couldn't hurt to be positive, right?

_So for some reason the evil slut couldn't snag Sesshoumaru, hm?_ she thought, her eyes skimming the note. It wasn't really that much of a surprise—he _was_ pretty powerful after all—but it was still good news.

Kagome's eyes widened as an idea popped into her mind. According to Sango, Inuyasha and Miroku had been easy kills, but Sesshoumaru wasn't. Inuyasha and Miroku couldn't help her with this… _problem_ of hers (Miroku had tried to perform an exorcist on her, but had instead succeeded in drawing out the evil slut in broad daylight—not pretty at all) because of the spirit's uncanny—and annoying—ability to make them totally forget about their surroundings. Sesshoumaru, on the other hand, wasn't seducible.

Her internal cogs whirred as she thought back on the night before, trying to come up with some reason to convince the taiyoukai of the West to help her, and her forehead wrinkled when she remembered him demanding to know where Rin was. She had only met the demon lord's young ward a few times, but from what she could tell, Sesshoumaru really did love the little girl. At least, he loved her in his own cold and uncaring way. If there was any chance that anyone could help find her, Kagome was sure he would take it.

She bit her lower lip, feeling guilty for her plots to use Sesshoumaru's love for his ward to make him help her. But what other choices did she have? With a sigh, she pushed herself away from the tree and stood, but a bolt of pain from her thigh that raced up her side made her leg crumple beneath her and she barely kept herself from falling face-first onto the forest floor. Instead she landed shoulder-first, which was almost an improvement, but not really.

_What the heck was that?_ she wondered, rolling over awkwardly and scooting over to the tree. Upon further inspection, she found the bandages wrapped around her leg that she had somehow failed to notice before. _Guess I didn't come out of my near-seduction-of-Sesshoumaru experience unscathed after all,_ she thought, making a face.

Unwrapping the bandages—which, she noted, returned to their prior leafy state as soon as they lost contact with her—revealed what had to be the worst burn of her life. She averted her eyes, feeling a bit woozy._ Maybe I don't feel so bad about using that asshole after all. Did he have to burn me? Geez!_ She groaned when she looked back and noticed the burn's proximity to her more personal… areas. _The evil slut probably deserved it,_ she thought. _What was she trying to do, force herself on him? That idiot!_

Taking a deep breath to clear her mind, she straightened so she could sit up without the help of her hands and braced herself. Over the course of the past three years, she'd worked on training her miko powers often, and she'd discovered that the longer you waited to heal a wound, the more it hurt. This particular wound appeared to be slightly infected—no doubt the result of some lingering poison—so it'd probably hurt even more.

Biting her lip, she called up her reiki, feeling the energy that poured from somewhere deep inside create an almost too-hot path through her stomach and into her hip. A whimper escaped her clenched lips when the purity met the acid the asshole had touched her with. She would have done anything to have had Tessaiga when he came at her; even just the sheath would do to keep her protected from the burn, but no, no such luck.

She swallowed as she watched—and felt—as her skin seared itself back together. Miko healing was the height of comfort for other people, but for the miko herself? More like reliving the initial injury. Kagome scowled. It was probably some kami's idea to keep the miko from becoming "too self-centered" or something. Couldn't they _ever_ do something for themselves? She had freaking regrown some villager's foot for him once, and he'd said he hadn't felt a thing, but if she even tried to heal a cut on her knee she had to steel herself against the pain.

She blinked. She'd regrown a villager's foot. She could regrow limbs. She needed Sesshoumaru's help. He was missing a limb. She grinned wickedly as the last of the pain dissipated. _Why, hello, Bargaining Chip Number 2._

She stood and carefully tested her leg to make sure the injury had healed completely. When she found that there was no pain, she sighed in relief and moved on to the next issue: her lack of a weapon. She examined the area, hoping to find something that would at least be of _some_ use, but nothing made itself known to her. Perfect.

Her stomach's current empty state soon became apparent, and she winced, resting a hand there. Not exactly her idea of a diet. Too bad lack of food wasn't something miko powers could cure. She had to get something to eat—drink, too—or she'd die in no time. She once again took count of her surroundings, noting that she appeared to be somewhere deep in the forest. It was mid-August and quite warm, meaning she had to get to water even quicker.

Water or someone to get water for her, that is.

She expanded her senses, hoping some lingering hint of the Daiyoukai of the West's aura remained in the clearing. She closed her eyes, concentrating hard, and almost leapt up and down when she caught onto the last traces of his youki. She could find him! She opened her eyes, feeling the direction he'd left in, and set off. She just hoped she found him before whatever had taken Rin found her.

**-oOo-**

The taiyoukai in question was currently involved in one of the most challenging battle of wills—and glares—he'd been in to date. The participants: Sesshoumaru and his mother, the Lady of the West.

Her cherry red lips pursed in unspoken anger, but Sesshoumaru was one for reading between the lines. He narrowed his eyes slightly. After several minutes of glaring at each other, he decided this was getting him nowhere. He didn't have time to waste. Rin was gone, and he had no idea where to find her. He opened his mouth to speak, but Chioko immediately cut him off.

"You will not weaken my castle's defenses for the sake of that human plaything of yours," she said.

Her son held back a snarl. "Do not speak of Rin that way, mother."

"I will speak of the little twit in any way I so please," she snapped. "You are _not_ the Lord of this castle, as you seem so want for people to believe. Don't assume I'll allow you to do something so foolish, Sesshoumaru."

"It's not foolish," he growled, quickly becoming angered. He'd been treading the edge of his composure for the past three days since Rin had disappeared, his patience worn thinner than parchment. "The wolves are distracted with Naraku's destruction; the East still hasn't recovered enough from our last bout with them to amount to anything even if a third of our forces were here; and the firebirds keep to themselves."

"And what of the hanyou, Naraku?" she retorted. "If he were to attack when you were away with so many of our men, the West would fall. Has it ever occurred to you that the brat's disappearance could be a distraction? This is why I told you, you mustn't have such weaknesses."

Sesshoumaru grimaced inwardly. He was well aware this was most likely a trap, and he didn't like it one bit, but Naraku could not be allowed to hold Rin captive any longer. Luckily, he'd thought of the perfect solution. "While I will not be here to defend the fortress, another will," he said calmly.

His mother arced an eyebrow at him, and he smirked, knowing he had her attention. She always had been a schemer, and he had a feeling she'd like this particular scheme—as long as she didn't go ballistic before he'd fully explained himself.

He cleared his throat. "You are aware of the half-breed's quest for the Shikon no Tama," he stated. Her eyes narrowed to slits. "And you are also aware of the human miko who travels with him."

"What does _he_ have to do with defending the—" Her eyes went wide in disbelief. "You wouldn't dare suggest—!"

"I don't only suggest, mother, I recommend it," he put in smoothly, despite the fact that Inuyasha's presence in his home was nothing short of appalling. At least he wouldn't be here to witness it. "The brat was able to sever this Sesshoumaru's arm from his person, if you recall."

Her anger swelled as she sputtered for words and he hurried to cut her off before she could protest—or leave the room—withdrawing from the folds of his obi a small black shard radiating dark energy. Chioko's mouth snapped shut at the sight of it. "Is that… the Shikon no Tama?"

"No other," he responded. "It will make for nice bait… and ransom."

She tilted her head to the side. This plan was starting to sound okay after all. "Ransom, you said?"

"Of course. If, that is, the miko isn't enough."

Her brows shot up. "You plan to lure them here with the jewel shard, then abduct her and hold her as ransom until you have found the twit?"

He ignored her jab. "The jewel shard is a safety measure in case they manage to retrieve her."

"You presume to steal her directly from his hands?"

"She is not with the half-breed at this time. They have been separated."

"What makes you think they haven't split intentionally?"

"If that is the case, the jewel will become our main bargaining chip and the girl an added bonus," he said. "The plan is foolproof, and you'll have plenty of time to taunt the half-breed while he's here. I'm sure it will prove to be to your liking."

The Lady hummed thoughtfully. The chance to torment the bastard child of her unfaithful mate couldn't exactly be looked over, now could it?

**-oOo-**

"Look again!" Naraku demanded for what Kagura could have sworn was the hundredth time in the last hour. Kanna obediently closed her eyes, and the clouds within her mirror swirled. Naraku's eye twitched in a distinctly crazed manner when, after waiting several minutes, the mist refused to clear. "Where is she?!"

Kanna opened her eyes. "She is not in this realm," she responded in a high-pitched monotone. Kagura grimaced as Naraku's eyes blazed red. They'd been at this on and off for the past three days with no results. It seemed the little girl under Sesshoumaru's protection had disappeared for good. The wind witch flinched when Naraku rounded on her once again.

"Explain yourself, bitch!" he snarled. "Where is she?"

She gulped. "I—I don't know—"

"This was another of your plots to defy me!" he interrupted. "Tell me where you've hidden the girl!"

Kagura quivered. She hated this, her weakness, her fear, but he had her heart—there was nothing she could do to defy him without risking her life. "I haven't hidden her anywhere," she insisted. "She fainted when she saw how high we were, and I was certain she was secure on my feather—she was out for at least an hour before she disappeared, after all—but apparently not!"

"Where did she fall?!"

"I don't know!" the demoness insisted. "One second she was there, and the next she was just gone. I searched hours—_hours_—but she's gone—vanished."

"Lies!" the hanyou hissed.

"No! I'm telling the truth!" She swallowed when she saw his eyes wander to the clay pots that housed her and Kanna's hearts, sitting in a deceivingly innocent manner on the side of his chamber. "I don't have the means to send her to another dimension anyway!" she said hurriedly. "You know I don't—" She was halted when Naraku whipped out a tentacle and wrapped it around the larger of the two pots, drawing it towards him. Her hand flew to her empty chest as the pot jostled roughly and she doubled over in pain. "N—no…" she stammered.

"Speak, Kagura!" he commanded as the pot came to a stop next to him. He reached in and withdrew a small, beating heart, wrapping in just a bit too tightly in his hand. "Speak, or die."

"I—ahhh!" she screeched as he tightened his grip.

"Speak!"

She bit her lip so hard she felt the tang of blood in her mouth. She couldn't take this—her heart couldn't take this! She had to do something, and fast. "I can get her for you, but only I can go to that place!" she lied quickly. She could only pray he was too crazed to think things over properly now—he was all too good at detecting lies. A whine escaped her when the sharp, stabbing pain in her chest only increased.

"What place?!"

"The—the—the place Inuyasha's miko comes from! An alternate dimension!" she said desperately.

This time, his eye twitched twice. That couldn't be good. "An alternate dimension?" he ground out.

She gulped. _Kami, I'm an idiot! _"Ye—yes."

"How did you discover this dimension?"

_Wait, is this actually going to work?_ "Erm, I saw her crossing over and followed, but I don't think anyone else can come," she said nervously.

Naraku's eyes got a strange light to them. Kagura cringed at the look, which could only be translated as, "I see an opportunity to be a maniacal bastard." She really didn't like that look. He was probably plotting her agonizing death as they spoke. Her mouth went dry just thinking about it.

"This is most advantageous," he jeered.

She blinked. _What?_

"I am truly the supreme evil!" he added with a cackle. "All will bow to me!" He laid lunatic-worthy eyes on her. "You will go to her dimension and use the power of the shards in my possession to enslave all the youkai there, then bring them back, along with the girl, and the Shikon no Tama will be mine!"

The wind witch looked on in horror as her now ascertainably nutso boss broke down into evil hoots of laughter, his arms raised above his head in the classic villain pose. Her heart was still in one hand, but the fact that he had stopped squeezing it wasn't helping too much. It still looked damn scary.

"Kagura."

She looked sideways at the tiny white girl next to her. Kanna's eyes were wider than Kagura had ever seen them, and she was staring at Naraku as if she'd seen a ghost. Quite ironic, actually, since everyone usually thought the same about her. "Kanna? Is something wrong?" Kagura made a face when Naraku's "evil laughter" entered the "evil giggles" zone.

The girl's eyes dropped to her mirror. "He hasn't been getting enough sleep lately, has he?"

The wind witch looked back at the hanyou—the supposedly "scheming", "intelligent", and "cunning" hanyou who currently appeared to be anything but—and scowled. "Definitely not."

**-oOo-**

**Sorry for the late update—my computer was in another's hands. In fact, this chapter has been ready for a couple weeks. =.= Thanks for reading!**


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